


Surviving the Nightmares

by craterdweller



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s07e12 Evolution (2), Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-05-05 19:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5386895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/craterdweller/pseuds/craterdweller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill Lee gets some unexpected help following the season 7 episode Evolution.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surviving the Nightmares

Jack added another finished mission report and checked his watch. 0100 hours. Time for a cup of coffee to help him get through the rest of the largish stack of unfinished paperwork. Just as he reached the doorway, the trunkline for the base rang through to his office. He frowned. One of the things he liked best about the third shift was the relatively few interruptions. Without a family or significant other waiting at home for him, he often volunteered to take a few extra rotations. Like this week. Al Reynolds was supposed to have the duty, but one of his daughters was performing as first chair at her school recital. So, he’d slapped Al on the back and told him to enjoy. Jack knew better than most about missed opportunities. He’d lost count of the number of Charlie’s baseball games he’d missed due to work. Now, he’d give almost anything to have that time back.

“O’Neill,” he barked into the phone.

An unfamiliar and rather timid voice asked, “Colonel O’Neill?”

“Yes.”

“This is Louisa Lee. Bill’s wife. We met at last year’s holiday party?”

“Yes, I remember. What can I do for you?”

“Well, I know you can’t tell me anything specific, but can you tell me when Bill can come home? Drew and Jeannie are beginning to worry. They’ve never gone this long without seeing their father. It’s been over two weeks.”

Jack furrowed his brow. He knew of no reason why Doctor Lee couldn’t go home. Doc Fraiser had cleared both him and Daniel within forty eight hours of their return from Honduras. He hung up the phone puzzled. Even if Bill had gotten absorbed in his work, Carter certainly did it often enough, it wasn’t like him to not even call home. True he didn’t know Bill very well. He was a scientist! And not like Carter. But, as scientist’s go he wasn’t a bad sort. And he’d liked Louisa even though she had married a scientist. He took a detour by the Doc’s preferred lab and found it dark. He then checked with the guards on duty by the elevators who confirmed that Doctor Lee had not in fact signed out, nor had he requested temporary sleeping quarters.  His last stop was the commissary, where he found the scientist asleep at a table. He approached slowly and reached out a hand to gently shake his shoulder, “Doc? You okay?”

Lee awoke with a start, banging his knees violently on the the underside of the table. He adjusted his glasses which had fallen askew and said sheepishly, “Colonel O’Neill. Did you need something?”

Jack took one look at the dark circles and deep creases lining the scientist’s face and knew that something wasn’t right. He took the seat across from him and raised an eyebrow, “Nightmares?”

Bill initially looked as if he was going to deny it, but then realized that it would be a futile gesture. Jack O’Neill was an experienced soldier. And the man that had almost single handedly taken out an entire squad of Honduran rebels in effecting his rescue. He wouldn’t be fooled by such a bald faced lie. So he opted for honesty. “I keep seeing his face.”

Jack rubbed a tired hand through his hair. Carter would probably be better at this, but she was likely tucked in her bed at home. “I won’t lie to you. The nightmares may never go away completely. But they will get less frequent in time. Have you talked to anyone?”

Bill shrugged. He’d had the obligatory session with the staff psychologist who’d even prescribed pills to help him sleep. Trouble was, he didn’t want to sleep.

“They gave you something to help you sleep, but did they give you something for the nightmares?”

At Lee’s puzzled look Jack shook his head. “Anti-anxiety meds. They’ll help until you can work through some of the worst of it. Now, let’s go see which of Janet’s staff is on duty. Then we’ll have an airman drive you home. Your family is worried about you.”

“How can I go home? What am I supposed to tell them when I wake up screaming from a nightmare? You were married once. How did you handle it?”

Jack grimaced. The failure of his marriage, although likely inevitable with what had happened to Charlie, was still a source of great regret. “I’m probably not the guy to ask about that. But, you can talk to Reynolds or Dixon. They’re both devoted family men, like you.”

Bill smiled at the rare compliment and then sobered. As a general rule the scientists and military types didn’t mingle. Not that it was prohibited. Far from it. General Hammond had taken extreme care that there be no elitism tolerated from either group. His unease must have shown for O’Neill slapped him on the shoulder as he led them towards the infirmary. “They’re both great guys if you give them half a chance.” He hesitated then offered sincerely, “And my door is always open if you just need an ear. Just don’t ask me for any relationship advice.”

They stopped just outside the infirmary, “But, how do I face them? I mean, I broke when they hardly even touched me.” He looked down, ashamed.

Jack squeezed his shoulder. “You did what you had to do to survive. That’s the most important thing. You’re a gifted scientist. If anyone failed, it was the Air Force. We should have never allowed you and Daniel to go in there without a proper escort.”  He frowned as he recalled making a similar argument to Hammond.

“General Hammond mentioned that you were not happy with the arrangements. It wasn’t your fault, Colonel. You saved us. Saved me. And I’ve been meaning to thank you.”

“Doc, you did. Many times. Now how about you get some better pills and head home to that family of yours. I’ll have an airman drive you home.” With a sloppy wave Jack turned and headed in the direction of his office, leaving Bill Lee alone in the hallway.

He watched until O’Neill had turned the corner before pushing open the door of the infirmary. Colonel O’Neill was an enigma and one he was unlikely to figure out anytime soon. However, O’Neill had been right about his needing help. When Doctor Mackenzie had made his diagnosis of mild PTSD, Lee had balked. He wasn’t a soldier. He hadn’t been tortured too badly. He was fine. Really. But he wasn’t. And maybe that was the first step in his recovery. And if O’Neill was right about that, then maybe he was right about talking to someone.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Fills h/c_bingo prompt: PTSD


End file.
